


Tiny Bug Friends

by hallowed-vessels (hasbeenhotel)



Series: Buggower AU [1]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: FK belongs to rubencondrai, Gen, Human AU, I’m not good at multichapter things but I’ll try, To An Extent, and will probably be the only oc in here, borrower au, buggower au, give or take a few, more characters will be added as they appear - Freeform, this is gonna be about 24 chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 09:17:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20255764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hasbeenhotel/pseuds/hallowed-vessels
Summary: Moving to a new place could be difficult, especially with the expectations that come with being the new governor’s child.Ghost has enough to get used to without counting the numerous bug-people living in their house.





	1. New Neighbors

“Go play outside. Either that, or go unpack. I’m busy.” Honestly, Ghost didn’t know what else they could have been expecting. Their father was _always_ too busy.

They’d already unpacked, which was incredibly easy, considering how little they owned. Hollow had already asked to be left alone, which only left one option. Go play outside. The mansion had a nice garden, maybe it would be fun?

They slipped outside, trying to keep out of the way of all the servants scurrying around. They didn’t need to cause any problems first thing, especially in a new place.

The gardens were well-kept, despite no one having lived in the house for several years. Maybe a gardener had been stopping by? Ghost wandered through the maze of hedges and flowers, stopping every so often to look closer at the pretty ones.

They stumbled across some that were pale blue- almost white, -and bent down to take a closer look. The star shaped flowers reminded them a little of their mother, and they vaguely wondered if she would like them.

Ghost didn’t remember her enough to know if she liked flowers.

They were abruptly drawn from their musings as a cat burst out of the bushes next to them. Startled, they lost their balance and went crashing onto the ground, tearing out a handful of the small flowers.

The black cat climbed onto them, plopping itself down on their stomach. It had a strange collar that looked more like someone had stuck a bush around their neck, and added three tooth-like shapes under their neck to make it more spooky.

The cat looked at him, then it spoke. “You must not be much of a hunter, getting so easily caught off guard.”

Cats were not supposed to speak.

Frightened, Ghost shoved the cat off their chest and scrambled backwards. They shoved the handful of flowers into their pocket, freeing up their hands so they could properly sign. “You can speak?!” They signed wildly.

The cat tilted their head at him. “And you can’t?”

Instinctively, Ghost reached up and ran a hand over their scarf. “I can.” They hesitated, then started signing again. “But I’m not allowed to.”

“Strange. Are you one of the new owners?”

Ghost nodded, and slowly got to their feet. “Where’s your owner?” Maybe they were a stray. But how could a stray learn to talk? Really, none of this made much sense. “Do you have a name?”

“Call me the Hunter.”

They hurried after the cat as he got up and left, trying to avoid stomping on the flowers. They quickly realized they were heading outside of the garden, and silently hoped that Pale wouldn’t find out about it. They doubted he would accept “following a talking cat” as a valid explanation.

The Hunter stopped outside an overgrown little hut. “This is where my, “owner,” lives. I much prefer to live in those gardens that he tends to. The prey there are much more interesting.”

The cat waited for them to enter before slipping in behind them and disappearing into the house. Ghost knocked on the door as they closed it behind them, silently taking it all in.

The inside was decorated with bones. Ghost silently hoped they were just that: decorations. If not… they shuddered at the implication.

“Oh, Hunter, I see you’ve brought over one of the new neighbors!”

Ghost jumped again, accidentally knocking a potted plant (in a pot shaped like a skull, naturally,) over. They somehow managed to catch it, shoving it back on the stand it had fallen off of. “Who are you?” They signed, trying to keep their hands from shaking so their message would be clear.

The person in question was an old man with ebony skin, with a kind smile on his face. “Most call me the Snail Shaman. I suppose you’re one of my new neighbors?”

“I’m Ghost.” At first, Ghost didn’t understand the name at all, until they noticed that the old man wore a hat similar to a snail’s shell. “Do you do m-a-g-i-c?” They signed, spelling out the word. They didn’t know how to sign “magic” in sign language, as Pale wouldn’t exactly have taught them. He was not the kind of father who would let his children believe in fairy tales.

“Something like that,” Snail Shaman agreed with a small nod and a large smile. “Come on in, I’ll make you some tea. That is, if you can drink with that scarf on.”

Ghost followed him to a couch- that was thankfully not made of bones, -and sat down, fiddling with their scarf. Pale wouldn’t know if they took it off, just for a little bit, right? Just to ask some questions?

They loosened it, just enough to pull it down off their face. Snail Shaman set a teacup on the coffee table in front of them, and sat down on the other side of it. “You must have a lot of questions, being in a new place and all.”

“Why can-“ Their voice cracked horribly, and their throat ached. They hadn’t spoken in years, maybe it wasn't the best idea to start now. They set down the teacup so their hands could be free. “Why can the cat talk?”

Snail Shaman laughed, more in an amused way than in a mocking way. “He is a very unusual cat. Maybe it’s magic, maybe it’s not. He’s not the only unusual creature in these parts.”

“Other creatures?” Ghost signed, hand movements slow and deliberate. “Like what?”

“Well, I’m there are all sorts. Legend has it there used to be giant Wyrms- they’re like dragons, but with no wings or arms or fire, -the size of mountains who used to live in this valley.”

Ghost stared at him. “That’s ridiculous.” They signed. “That’s not real.”

Snail Shaman laughed again. “Nowadays, I find that many of the unusual creatures in this part are, well. Like bugs. Little creatures who come into your home and use what you don’t.”

Ghost scrunched up their nose. Honestly... This was silly. They weren’t a child, they didn’t want to hear fairy tales about magical borrowers! Maybe the cat didn’t really talk, and they were just imagining it.

They drank the rest of their tea as fast as they could without burning themselves, and redid their scarf to cover their face.

“Thank you for the tea.” They signed. “I need to get home.”

He smiled and led them to the door, then stopped them before opening it. “Look out for any moths, little shade. They carry dreams- did you know that?” Then, with a chuckle, they opened the door. “Come visit whenever you’d like.”

Ghost mentally decided that they would _not_ be visiting again, and hurried back to the relative sanity of their own home.


	2. The First Borrower

Dinner was awkward, as it always was. Their father was too busy looking over papers to do more than comment that the two of them needed to fix their hair, and Hollow was blatantly ignoring any of Ghost’s attempts to start a conversation.

So they ate in silence, and excused themselves once they were done. “I’ll be in my room,” They signed, even though no one was looking.

It had started to rain outside, they noted as they passed a window on their way upstairs, which already added to their sulky mood.

Why were there so many stairs in this house?!?! Why couldn’t they just have a room on the bottom floor, instead of the third?

They shut the door behind them, locked it, and plopped down on their bed. Ghost fully intended to stay there and sulk until someone came to spend time with them, but just sitting on a bed was very boring.

So, after about half an hour, they begrudgingly dragged themselves back to their feet. Maybe they could text Hornet? They grabbed their phone- just a simple flip phone, the type that could only text and call, -and opened it up.

Oh, wait. She was at work, wasn’t she? They sunk into the pillows. They didn’t want to bother her, but they were _bored!_

They put the phone back on its charger and got up, unlocking the door and heading out. They walked down the hall to Hollow’s room, and tapped on the door.

Hollow didn’t open it, but Ghost kept knocking, fully intending to be annoying until they got their sibling’s attention.

Belatedly, it occurred to them that Hollow might not be in the room, but then the door cracked open. “Hollow!” Ghost happily signed. “I’m bored.”

“I’m busy.” Hollow signed back, then glanced back into their room. “Can you go play on your own?”

Ghost’s shoulders slumped. They leaned against the door, giving Hollow the best pout they could manage with their mouth covered.

“We can play together tomorrow.” Hollow offered. “Why don’t you go find hiding places, and we can play hide and seek tomorrow?”

Ghost immediately perked up. The door swung shut, and they glanced around, wondering where to start their exploration. Maybe downstairs, so they could work their way up?

They glanced at the stair’s railing, and a brilliant idea popped into their head. Ghost hopped up onto it, loosely holding on so they wouldn’t fall, and slid down, picking up speed as they went.

Their giggles were muffled by the scarf, something that would infuriate Pale if he knew they were _laughing_\- but it was fun and Ghost was enjoying it, so they laughed anyway.

Unfortunately, they didn’t time it right, and their attempt to hop off the railing led to them stumbling and landing face first in a crumpled heap onto the basement floor. Ghost slowly picked themselves off the floor, dusting off their clothes.

Once satisfied that they looked presentable again, they went back to their main objective: finding hiding places.

Ghost wandered around, searching each room for suitable spots. Behind a cabinet here, underneath a guest bed there... maybe in this closet?

They pulled the door open, and was able to see the vague outline of stacked boxes.

They stepped inside and ran their hand along the wall to find a light. Ghost’s hand bumped into something solid- a statue of some sort? -on top of a box.

Curious, they grabbed it, and continued to search for the lightswitch. It felt a little like the statue was squirming in their grasp...

They found the lightswitch and flicked it on, then looked down at what they were holding. The statue- no, not a statue, -craned it’s head up to look at them.

“Ah. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a Bean of your age. Could you put me down?” It, he, perhaps, said in a somber voice.

Ghost froze, instinctively dropping him. Immediately, their mind flashing back to what the Snail Shaman had told them earlier.

Something about tiny bug like creatures? Was this what the old man had meant?

Slowly, they started to sign. “What are you?”

“Ah, you don’t speak? No matter, many of us do understand sign language. Or, just me, I suppose... the rest are gone. Lost to the expanses of this home.” The bug-creature shook himself, as if getting rid of the memories, and straightened up. “I am known as Elderbug. I’m a borrower, you could say. We live alongside humans like yourself, living off of whatever extras we find that you don’t use. It’s a simple lifestyle, for small creatures such as myself. We try to go unnoticed.”

“So, you live here?” Ghost paused, still trying to wrap their mind around this. “Are there more of you?”

“Yes,” Elderbug nodded. “Such a large house can hold many of us, though I’m sure many have left in the years since the last set of Beans moved out. Whether any other than me are still here is beyond my knowledge.”

They scrunched up their nose. “B-E-A-N-S?” They spelled it out, confused.

Another nod from the borrower. “It’s a common term for large people- humans, I suppose you would say, -that we use.”

Ghost tried to sort it out in their head, and remembered again what their neighbor had said. “Do you know the Snail Shaman next door?”

Elderbug thought for a while. “Yes, though it was a long time ago that he came here. I’m not the most fond of the creature he calls his cat, but the man himself is kind. Very knowledgeable.”

Ghost sat down cross-legged on the floor, so they could more easily see the bug. They rocked back and forth slightly, trying to think of what to do with this new information.

They couldn’t exactly tell anyone (except maybe the Snail Shaman,) about the little guy. Hollow would think they were crazy, Pale would probably try to hire an exterminator, so they would just have to handle it themselves.

“Do you want to be friends?” They signed on impulse. It would be nice to have a little pocket-sized friend, just someone they could carry around so they wouldn’t have to be alone.

“That would nice, Bean.” Elderbug chuckled.

Underneath their scarf, Ghost smiled. “You can call me Ghost!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elderbug appears! Hopefully posting this will encourage me to work on chapter 3.


	3. Two New Friends

The next day, Ghost had almost forgotten about the strange encounter. Right up until they got up and spotted the sleeping Elderbug on their dresser.

They readjusted the few photos on the dresser to hide the little borrower, then stepped back, searching for any angles where he would be visible. Once satisfied, they left their room, excited to go play with Hollow.

They hadn’t been able to complete their mission of searching the whole house for hiding spots, but they’d found some good spots in the basement.

They knocked on Hollow’s door, practically bouncing up and down in excitement. It opened a moment later, revealing Hollow, who looked as though they had just rolled out of bed.

“Hide and seek?” They eagerly signed, the gestures wide and fast. “Can we go play now?”

Hollow hadn’t put on their scarf yet, which allowed Ghost to see the rare smile that spread across their older sibling’s face. “Go and hide.” They signed. “50 knocks.”

The door shut again, and Ghost clapped a few times times, bouncing up and down in sheer giddiness. As the first knock rang out, they ran to the stairs, hopping on the stair railing again to speed it up.

They flew past the few hired helpers, stopping briefly to apologize for knocking over a dust pan, then ran down the final flight of stairs, taking the steps two at a time. It had been so long since they’d been able to play! They’d been up so late, practically bouncing off the walls with excitement, unable to hold onto one thought long enough to fall asleep until about two in the morning.

They opened random doors and shut others behind them, eventually darting under a spare bed when they heard the final knock ring out, signalling that Hollow would be coming to find them now.

They shivered, slightly regretting their hiding spot as a gust of cold air swept over them. Ghost glanced around to find a source, and that’s when they noticed the air vent. The cover hung lopsided, only one screw holding it on.

Over the sound of the cool, rushing air, they could hear what sounded like humming.

They carefully wiggled around, trying to reposition themselves in order to get closer to the vent. The humming was _definitely_ coming from it!

Ghost took a second to listen, making sure that Hollow wasn’t nearby. When they were reassured that their sibling wasn’t, they reached inside the vent. Maybe it was another borrower-bug thing. Bug-borrower? Buggower? They’d have to find a better word for it later.

They slowly moved their hand around, hoping not to startle whatever was in there. 

Their hand brushed against some scraps of something. They pulled it out and squinted, realizing that it was... paper?

Curious, they reached in again, silently wishing that they could just ask the borrower to come out. However, that wouldn’t be the best move, especially not when a game of hide and seek was going! Hollow was already unfairly good at finding them.

Their hand brushed against something warm and slightly squishy- victory! They tried their best to herd the borrower towards the opening in the vent instead of just picking it up- they didn’t want to scare whoever it was.

After a moment, a roundish borrower with teeny glasses and a bag of rolled up papers appeared. They looked nothing like Elderbug, but then again, people didn’t all look the same either, and that was okay!

Ghost beamed and waved happily. The borrower adjusted their glasses. “It’s been a while since we had a Bean of your age here,” They- it sounded like a he, -said. “I’m assuming it was you who was fumbling around in that tunnel?”

They nodded. “Sorry if I scared you.” They signed. The hand movements were small, thanks to the cramped space under the bed. “I’m Ghost! I found another one of you named Elderbug a few days ago.”

“Ah, yes, Elderbug! He’s a good borrower. My name is Cornifer. I’m a map maker!” He puffed up proudly. “I’m quite good at my work, if I may say so myself. Though I can’t imagine you’d have much use for my services.”

“I’m just happy to have new friends.” Ghost hardly had time to finish signing before they felt someone reach under the bed and poke them. They flinched and twisted around to see Hollow, letting out a small sigh of relief. They’d honestly forgotten they’d been playing hide and seek! “Don’t leave.” They signed quickly before squirming out from under the bed.

“Found you.” Hollow signed. Ghost giggled slightly, which was completely muffled by their scarf, and held out their arms for a hug. Hollow paused, then bent down to hug them, giving the small child a little squeeze.

This level of affection from Hollow was rare. Most hugs were turned down, and almost all of the hugs that were accepted never lasted longer than half a second. Ghost didn’t try to cling on, instead suggesting another round of the game.

“I’m too tired,” was the reply. “Maybe later?”

Hollow did look tired. The natural slump of their shoulders was more defined than usual, they had bags under their eyes, and they looked about ready to pass out where they stood. Ghost suddenly felt awful. How had they not noticed? How had they not realized how tired Hollow was? They should have waited to bother them to play. “Are you feeling okay? Are you sick?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” They didn’t _look_ fine.

Ghost nodded slowly, knowing better than to push the matter. If Hollow was sick, they’d talk to their father. He’d listen if it concerned Hollow’s health. “Go rest, then.”

It took a moment for Hollow to respond. “Ghost, if you...” Their hands dropped to their side, and they shook their head. Ghost wanted to ask for another hug, wanted to provide comfort, but they knew it wouldn’t do anything other than cause Hollow to shut down even more. It was better to let them leave and get some rest.

“Sleep well!” They signed as Hollow left.

Once the door shut, they waited a few minutes to make sure no one would come back into the room, then dove back under the bed, eager to talk more with Cornifer. There was now another borrower with him, this one tall and spindly but still notably the same species. Was it rude to call them species? The borrowers _were_ bugs, right? ...They’d have to ask about that later.

“Ghost-Bean!” Cornifer greeted them again. “This is my wife, Iselda. Iselda, this is the Bean I was just telling you about.”

Iselda studied them warily, as if not sure what to make of them. “It’s nice to meet you. Living in an inhabited house can be dangerous, I’m glad you’re willing to be kind to us.”

Oh! They hadn’t even considered the house might not be safe. The borrowers were so small, so it did make sense. All the more reason for them to track down every one of them they could. That way Ghost could protect them. “I could let you live in my room.” They offered. “Elderbug is there.”

“That would be awfully kind of you!” Cornifer nodded. “It would be a relief to know Iselda is safe while I’m away.”

Iselda sighed, though there was a definite fondness to it. “Corny, dear, you know I can defend myself.” She turned back to face Ghost. “We would appreciate it.”

Ghost beamed. Two more friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't write to save my life, rip Cornifer and Iselda's personalities. Also I wrote 80% of this chapter at school.
> 
> I never expected this silly little au to get so far!!! I'm so grateful for ya'll's support and patience with my sporadic updating schedule!


	4. A "Fierce" Warrior

The next day, Ghost was greeted with an unusually large list of chores and a stern, “If you’re going to be getting in everyone’s way, you might as well be useful while you’re at it.”

Evidently, someone had told their father about the game they and Hollow had played the day before. Hollow probably didn’t get any sort of punishment. They were the favored child.

Ghost didn’t hate them for it, didn’t feel any sort of jealousy or spite. Hollow had their own struggles. They were expected to be perfect, while Ghost just had to clean up after any messes that they made.

Today in particular, they were being sent to clean out a storage closet. Not the worst punishment, for sure. Might be a tad difficult, just because they weren’t exactly the tallest person on the planet. They stood just outside of it, looking up at the shelves stocked with ancient cleaning supplies, blankets, and various other items.

No better time to get started!

Ghost rolled up their sleeves, which almost immediately fell back down, and started to pull out old brooms, waving away the cobwebs and dust that came raining down on them. Sheesh, when was this last cleaned?? It was a good thing that their scarf worked as a filter to keep them from choking on the dust.

Now that they could see everything on the shelves- there was really no rhyme or reason to what was in there, -they figured the best course of action would be to clear everything out before attempting any sort of organization.

They kept standing there for a few more minutes, playing with their sleeves. They knew they needed to get the closet cleaned, but their mind kept wandering.

Their thoughts went to the three little borrowers who were hidden in their room. Ghost was so curious about them, but their father would get suspicious if they spent too much time in their room. So they could only really talk with them in the little bit of time between being sent to bed and being required to turn their lights off.

That really wasn’t a whole lot of time. Certainly not enough for all the questions Ghost had!

Like, what did they eat? Cornifer had assured them that the borrowers were plenty capable of feeding themselves, but it would be nice to bring them treats. Could they have the same food as regular people? Would they like sweets? Sour things? Salty things?

Ghost rocked back and forth on their feet and played with the sleeves of their shirt, their original intention of cleaning out the closet gone from their memory.

They stood there for a solid five minutes, until one of the boxes in the closet went crashing off a shelf. They jumped, badly startled by the sudden noise. They stayed frozen for a moment before slowly creeping forward. They didn’t immediately see anything on the shelf that could have caused the box to fall, so they opened it up. It was full of old books. No wonder it weighed so much!

They went to put it back, still forgetting that their chores would require them to take it back down again. As they slid it back onto the shelf, something slightly sharp jabbed at their finger, prompting a muffled shriek through their scarf. Ghost immediately yanked their hand back and held it tightly to their chest. The box fell to the floor again with another loud crash, and Ghost stared as something blue clutching to a silvery disk disappeared back into the mess.

“What’s all this noise?”

Ghost jumped again and whirled around, feeling their heart somehow beat even faster as they came face to face with their father. “Got bitten by a bug and dropped the box.” They signed quickly, trying to stop their hands from shaking due to the shock and anxiety of the situation. “It won’t happen again. Sorry.”

“Good.” Pale stared at them for a second, then sighed and crouched down a bit. “Are you okay? Let me see your hand.”

His voice was uncharacteristically soft, almost _worried_. It was unnerving, but Ghost did what they were asked. “I’m fine.” They insisted with their free hand.

“Well, there’s no blood, so I’ll believe you.” He nodded, and let go of their hand. After another moment of regarding them, he ruffled their hair. “You’ve done enough for now. Go take a break.”

Ghost’s head shot up, blinking in disbelief. “I’ve hardly done anything!” They signed wildly.

“You’re also a _child_, Ghost. I’m not going to make you clean out such a messy closet all in one go. Take a break.”

Without allowing any more time for argument, Pale walked away, leaving Ghost standing in the dusty closet. Ghost stood there, frozen, for a few moments before turning back to the shelves. They closed their eyes, took a deep breath, and shoved their hand behind the boxes, grabbing the squirming borrower trying to hide there.

The borrower screamed, slamming his shield- which Ghost now realized was a flattened bottle cap, -into their hand. They shut the door then set the borrower down so they could have both hands to sign with.

“It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.” Ghost signed slowly. The borrower peeked out from behind his shield, looking quite skeptical. “I’m a friend, I’ve got some others like you living in my room. You don’t need to be afraid.”

The borrower puffed up. “Me? Afraid?” He scoffed. “I’m an unbeatable warrior, I wasn’t scared!”

Underneath their scarf, Ghost smirked. The fact that just a moment earlier, he was screaming like a scared little kid said otherwise, but Ghost let it slide. “I’m Ghost.” They introduced themselves. “The other borrowers I’ve met are Elderbug, Cornifer and Iselda.”

“Oh, I know them. They’re disappointingly passive, but have they really not mentioned me?” Ghost shook their head, to which the borrower sighed in annoyance before puffing up with pride. “My name is Tiso! I came to this ancient home in search of a challenge! As an unbeatable warrior, I’m searching for someone who can be a true test of my skills.”

They nodded along politely, then pointed to the flattened bottle cap. “Is that your weapon?”

“Yes! Do not be deceived by its plain look, it conceals a deadly secret. Even someone as large as you wouldn’t be able to survive it!” Tiso continued to boast.

That... didn’t seem very probable. It was just a metal bottle cap. It might be able to cut, sure, but it certainly wouldn’t be able to kill them... “Maybe I can help you find new opponents?” Ghost offered. “I’ve been trying to make as many borrower friends as I can! I’m sure I’ll find some that are willing to fight with you.”

Tiso didn’t quite look sold. “I wouldn’t want to kill anyone you befriend. And I doubt a powerful warrior would allow themselves to be caught.”

Ghost pouted. “Please?” They thought for a second, then added, “I’ll bring you food!”

That seemed to sway him, just like they’d hoped. Tiso huffed and crossed his arms. “I suppose it’s worth a try.”

The child sprung up, clapping their hands in joy before scooping him up. They carefully patted him on the head- which earned them an insulted shriek, -and plopped him in their pocket. They hurried up the stairs to their room, shut and locked the door, then pulled him out and set him on the cabinet where the other three borrowers were gathering to see what the commotion was.

Tiso immediately burst into an angry tirade, which deterred Iselda and Elderbug from attempting to talk to him. Cornifer, on the other hand, was more than happy to go introduce himself and offer the furious bug a map.

“Why would you bring someone so loud here?” Iselda complained with a sigh.

Ghost’s shoulders slumped. They hadn’t exactly considered how the other borrowers would feel about them bringing along new friends. They’d just assumed they’d all be okay with it. “I can put him back.” They offered. “Sorry...”

Elderbug shook his head. “No, no! You don’t have to, not if it makes you happy to have him here. We can adjust.” He reached out and gently patted Ghost’s hand. “You should do whatever makes you happy.”

They smiled underneath their scarf, feeling a little better, even though the guilt didn’t quite go away. “Thank you.” They signed. They wanted to say something else, but got distracted as their phone chimed in their pocket.

They whipped out the little flip phone, curious to see who was contacting them.

A message from Hornet!

Ghost opened it quickly, bouncing up and down in excitement as they read the text. “My sister’s gonna come by!” They signed excitedly, nearly dropping their phone. “Hornet’s gonna be here in a week!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. This is the sort of update schedule ya'll get from me.  
Anyway, Tiso's here! I don't know how to write him. I don't know how to write anyone.


	5. Actual, Human People

Ghost was dreading having their homeschooling start up again, but they also couldn’t wait for the week to start. Their half-sister, Hornet, was going to come visit!

They stood at the window, bouncing up and down on their heels as they watched the driveway for any cars. A large, black van pulled up. Ghost clapped in excitement and hurried down the stairs, being careful this time not to trip or get in anyone’s way.

They burst out the front door, not even bothering to shut it behind them- they’d be dead if PK knew about that, but he was on a business trip, -hyperly signing Hornet’s name over and over. Hornet caught them as they ran over to her, scooping them up and giving them a tight squeeze.

“You’re getting big!” She remarked as she set them down. “If you keep growing like this, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep picking you up.”

“But you’re really strong! Just like Miss Herrah.” Ghost protested. Then they turned around and cheerily waved at Herrah. “Hi! Thanks for bringing Hornet to come hang out.”

Herrah laughed and ruffled their hair. “No problem.” She turned to Hornet. “Let me know when you’re ready to come home, and tell that no-good-”

Hornet clamped her hands over Ghost’s ears, preventing them from hearing the rest of her mother’s sentence. They tried to twist around to look at their half-sister in confusion, but she held their head in place to prevent them from getting out from under her hands and hearing. “-be sure to tell him that.” She uncovered their ears and patted them on the head.

“Well, I’ll get going then.” Herrah said with a slight laugh in her voice. “You sure you can take care of yourself?”

Hornet sighed. “Yes, Mom, I can. You don’t need to keep worrying about me. I’m plenty strong enough to take down anything this place could throw at me.”

As if that claim of confidence had summoned him, Hunter the cat lept from the bushes, claws out and fangs bared, and tackled Hornet to the ground. Ghost clapped their hands over where their scarf already covered their mouth, eyes wide in surprise.

Herrah bent down and dragged the hissing cat off of her daughter, somehow managing to keep her grip even as Hunter squirmed and scratched. She made her way over to the bushes that Hunter had appeared from, and practically _threw_ him over them. She brushed her hands off on her dress. “Don’t you ever hurt my daughter, you-!”

“MOM!” Hornet yelled. “I’m fine. Don’t swear in front of Ghost.” She stood up and brushed off her now very dirty- and slightly torn, -poncho.

“If you’re sure.” Herrah said. She smoothed down Hornet’s hair and placed a kiss on top of her head. “Don’t go getting attacked anymore. I love you!” She got back into the car and gave the two a small wave before peeling away back down the driveway.

She waved goodbye to her mom. “Did you know that cat?” Hornet questioned them as they walked back inside.

Ghost lied and shook their head. “It might be the neighbor’s?” They signed innocently.

She sighed. “Whatever, let’s see this new house of yours.” She shut the door behind them and glanced around the entryway. She mockingly raised her hand to shield her eyes. “Dad really does love to have everything be blindingly bright and shiny, doesn’t he? This place could only be worse sensory overload if there were buzzsaws everywhere.”

They raised their hands to the sides of their faces to form the signs for laughter as they led her to the kitchen. Surely after such a long drive, she’d be hungry, right?

“Do you like it here?” Hornet asked as she helped herself to some crackers.

They nodded.

“Have you made any friends?”

They hesitated. Would she believe them if they told her about the borrowers? Would that put them in danger? No, she probably wouldn’t believe them. Even if she did, they trusted her to keep a secret. Ghost nodded, “Yeah! There are little bug people who live in the walls. They’re nice.”

She laughed. “Aww, that’s lovely. Did your bug friends help you with your summer homework?”

Ghost internally panicked, trying to remember if they had homework. “I had homework?”

“Yeah. You said you had worksheets, back when the last school year ended.” Hornet nodded. “You didn’t do any of them, did you.” It was more of an accusation than a question. Ghost anxiously fidgeted with their scarf. No, they hadn’t. They’d completely forgotten about it.

They sunk deeper in their seat, already able to hear their father’s scolding for having forgotten. Guilt already started to build up, and for a moment Ghost felt horribly useless. What good were they? They couldn’t even remember to do a simple assignment!

Their half sister reached over and ruffled their hair. “Go do your homework. Anything is better than nothing.”

* * *

After two excruciating hours of trying to remember various equations, Hornet texted them that their tutors were here. Ghost sighed. They weren’t even halfway done... Hopefully no one would be mad.

They made their way to the makeshift library, which was really just a big empty room that their father had filled with shelves and books. At the moment, it was mostly full of boxes. A mahogany table was shoved in the corner, with two cheap folding chairs tucked next to it. Seated on one of them was one of Ghost’s tutors, a man with an uncanny resemblance to their father, who went just by FK.

Ghost plopped down on the chair next to him and waved, relieved to see him. He was a very kind and laid back person, who only expressed minor disappointment, if that, when Ghost missed assignments. Really, they had no idea why their father had hired someone like FK, but they weren’t complaining!

“Did you get your homework done over break?” FK gestured to the handful of papers that Ghost was holding. They pulled their scarf up to cover more of their face, which was red from embarrassment, and shook their head. “No worries, it was probably a busy summer, what with moving at all. I’ll help you work through them and refresh your memory. But first! Tell me about your summer. Are you getting used to living here? Are you liking it?”

Ghost thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, it’s nice. The neighbor is weird, but he has a nice cat.”

FK nodded along thoughtfully. “Is it the cat that looks like its head got caught in a bush?” They giggled a little and nodded. “Is the neighbor nice? Have you talked with him?”

“He said there are little bug people that live in the walls.” They signed, their hand movements firm and steady to give a sense of seriousness.

“And is he right?” FK pressed with an amused smile.

Internally, Ghost debated whether to tell him. Probably best if not many people knew.. They shook their head and put their homework on the table, signalling that they were ready to get to work. Maybe they could tell him about their little friends later. Maybe, once they knew he could be trusted with that sort of knowledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this fic isn't dead! I just am. Here's an update for ya'll! Consider it an early Christmas present because there's no way chapter 6 will be done before then. I have no clue why this chapter took me so long to write?? Hope it was worth the wait tho!

**Author's Note:**

> Can’t tell you all how much I love this litte au. Writing this makes me super happy, so hopefully I’ll be able to actually make good progress with this fic before I get distracted and forget about it.  
More info on the au can be found at my tumblr, @hallowed-vessel!


End file.
